Thanksgiving
Psalm 100:4
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name.
Growing up in Nicaragua we didn't have a Thanksgiving holiday. I love this tradition in the USA. A time to reflect and give thanks.
But what about if you have lost your job, your house, your health...a loved one? Can you still give thanks? When I battled depression twenty-five years ago, I used to write down a list of blessings to fight my depression. My list went like this:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for giving me eternal life. Thank for your love and sacrifice for me. Thank you for my husband and two sons and that they know you too. Thank you that I had something to eat today. Thank you for our health. Thank you for our cars. Thank you for the roof over our heads. Thank you for my husband's job...at the end of my list I realized how many blessings I had. My spirit was lifted up.
Having been raised in Nicaragua, I saw a lot of poverty around. Poor children who didn't own a pair of shoes. Everyday around lunch time, a little boy would knock at our door begging for leftovers to eat. I never forgot when I saw a man living under a tree, on an empty field, two blocks away from our house. I was around eleven years old. It rains a lot in Nicaragua. One night I couldn't sleep thinking about the poor man getting wet and cold under the tree.
The next day, during the early evening hours I went cautiously to give him a plate of food and a sheet. I went by myself and told my sister to keep an eye on me from the house. As I gave him the food, he was speechless at first and then said thank you. I'll never forget his eyes... I felt as if I had looked into the eyes of Jesus! My mom found out what I had done the next day. She scolded me for taking that risk and going behind her back. She then called Social Services and they found the man shelter.
So, if you have a pair of shoes on your feet today, or food to eat, you have a lot to be thankful for. This Thanksgiving count your blessings and try making your own list of blessings. If you believe in Jesus, the Son of God, you have a rich inheritance. You have eternal life. This life's troubles and challenges are temporary. You have a future glory with Christ!
Happy Thanksgiving! May God bless you and your families :)
Guadalupe
p.s. Lord, bless everyone who is reading this blog. Shower him or her with your love and abundant blessings. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen!
